title: Potential problems in the use of commercial preparations of radiolabeled cholesterol.
abstract: Through a series of biological and analytical procedures, we demonstrate that a compound purchased from a commercial supplier as [7-3H]cholesterol was not cholesterol. In mouse peritoneal macrophages, this compound was metabolized differently than other radiolabeled cholesterol preparations and was accumulated in the steryl ester pool. In contrast, Fu5AH rat hepatoma cells did not discriminate this compound from cholesterol. Further analysis of the anomalous [7-3H]cholesterol by TLC after cholesterol oxidase treatment and by HPLC indicated that this radiochemical was less polar than cholesterol standard and other radiolabeled cholesterol preparations tested. Mass spectrometry analysis disclosed that the chemical has a similar fragmentation pattern and the same molecular weight (386) as cholesterol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19129.
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Mahlberg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Oquendo
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Glick
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Rothblat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000592:standards*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D014316:Tritium; D002784:Cholesterol